Passing through: International journey brings walking pair through Attica

Mike Metras and Petra Wolf recently stopped at the Pleasant Soul Café in Attica during their journey from California to Jerusalem. They’re making the trip on foot. ATTICA — Two people stopped in at the Pleasant Soul Café in Attica last week after a very long walk. Owner Angie Burgess was delighted to meet her guests, Petra Wolf and Mike Metras. The pair made fascinating company with tales of their travels. They on their way from California to Jerusalem – on foot.

Wolf and Metras left their home in California on Jan. 16 this year. They’ve been walking ever since. They tug a pair of carts along with them, carrying their tent, blankets, and other necessities. Metras told Burgess that he is on his fourth pair of shoes.

The unannounced arrival of Wolf and Metras at the Pleasant Soul proved to be a significant experience for those lucky enough to be there on September 29. They enjoyed good conversation, laughs and enlightenment. Their story gave Pleasant Soul owner Angie Burgess pause to consider things.

“They’re not in a hurry. They’re not trying to beat a record. They encourage you to live your dream,” Burgess says. “Their coming here makes you realize … slow down … and look around.”

The walkers are making the journey not to raise funds or for a particular cause, but for the experience itself. They are documenting their journey online at www.walkingwithwareness. com.

On their site, they say, “Why walk? We like walking. We like the lure of the next horizon. We like living every day differently, in a new environment. We walk for simplicity. We walk for unity. We walk for the environment. We walk for Peace …. The bottom line is that we walk because we like to walk, because we want to walk.”

Once they arrive at Jerusalem at the end of the approximately 18-month odyssey, they’ll see what new path opens for them.

It’s not the first time the two have logged a lot of miles under their own steam. Wolf first ventured on foot from her native country, Germany, to Spain, in 2003. While in Spain, she met Metras. The pair married. Together, they walked from Spain to Rome. Wolf is a walking workshop guide and environmental engineer. Metras was a technical writer. He has authored several books.

Burgess said that meeting Wolf and Metras was a neat experience that changed her life. She said their visit was very affirming for her.

“There is a purpose for each and every one of us,” says Burgess as she reflects on the walking duo’s visit. “Your life is what you make of it.”

Wolf and Metras already have left a trail of footprints now leading into Canada, but they also left a happy mark in the souls at the Pleasant Soul.